Scaffolding



J. P. BIEBEL March 2, 1937.

SCAFFOLDING Filed Jan. 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WALL -a ATTORNEY.

March 2, 1937. J. P. BIEBEL 2,

SCAFFOLDING Filed Jan. 20, 1936 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 I ll INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES 10 Claims.

My invention relates to scaffolding, and embodies improvements over my co-pending application Serial Number 23,067, filed May 23, 1935.

An object of my invention is to provide a scaffolding having an upper and a lower platform suspended from a series of single cables wound upon hoisting drives so carried by scaffolding frames that the scaffolding will be self balancing when materials and workmen are thereon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a scaffold frame member and built in hoisting drive mechanism therefor which is light, simple and durable in construction, separable as to sections thereof, and highly efficient for the purpose designed.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be clearly apparent hereinafter, the invention consists inthe novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and finally pointed out in embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a view of the hoisting drive, with one 'half of the hoisting drive housing removed and the cable-drum and its actuating means in sectional elevation.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a suitable U-shaped frame section designated, generally, as I, and upon the cross-member 2 thereof a walk plank, or platform 3 is adapted to be supported. The upper end of the upright rear arm 4 of the U-shaped frame is provided with a suitable loop, or holder 5 by means of which a suitable guide rail 6 is supported when passed therethrough.

Disposed above the U-shaped frame I and offset to the front thereof, is a triangularly shaped frame sectiondesignated, generally as I. The rear end of the lower horizontal arm 8, of the frame section I, is secured to the upper end of the front vertical arm 9 of the U-shaped frame section I and to a depending arm II] of a hoisting drive housing designated, generally, as II, by means of a suitable fastening device such, for instance, as a bolt I2. The depending housing arm I can be L-shaped, if desired, and secured to the horizontal arm 8 of the frame section 1 by means of a second fastening device such, for instance, as a bolt 83. This arrangement enables the lower frame section I to be readily detached from the upper frame section I, and assembled as quickly. This knock-down arrangement permits the scaffold frame to be transported knocked-down, if desired, and packed in a relatively small space.

The horizontal arm 8 of the upper frame section 7 serves as a support adjacent to the upper end of the L l-shaped framesection I and to the front thereof, or in offset relation thereto, and serves as means for supporting a platform of plank it upon which materials can be laid for easy access to workmen standing on the walk platformfi, thus obviating the necessity of workmen bending to reach the material and waste be used by them as the platform is within easy reach in front of them without their bending over, thus the efficiency of the workmen on the scaifold is greatly increased.

The upper frame section I includes a short front vertical portion I terminating in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined portion I6, and, which in turn terminates at its upper end in a downwardly projecting vertically disposed arm I? which terminates short of the rear end of the horizontal arm portion 8 of the upper frame section f. This: provides a gap in the rear portion of the upper frame section which is taken up by the hoisting drive housing II. The lower end of the upper frame section arm I! is detachably secured to an upstanding arm I 8 on the upper side of the hoisting housing II by means of a suitable fastening device such, for instance, as a bolt I9.

A suitable cable guiding sleeve 29 is suitably secured to the rear face of the vertical depending arm I?! of the upper frame section l through which a single suspended hoisting cable 20' passes, as will be clearly apparent hereinafter.

A suitable bracing member 2! connects the hoisting drive housing I I with the inclined front portion I5 of. the upper frame section I and its front end is suitably secured to the frame portion I6 by a suitable fastening device such, for instance, as a bolt 22.

The lower and upper frame sections I and I, respectively, can be formed of suitable light weight angle-iron, or other shaped material which will afford sufiicient stiffness and rigidity to the frame structure when assembled.

The hoist drive housing II is shown in one embodiment thereof as consisting of two sections,

means of a set screw #2.

a rear section 23 and a front section 2 3 suitably secured together by suitable fastening devices such, for instance, as screws 25, 26 and 21. The arms if! and IS on the housing ii preferably, although not necessarily, project from the rear housing section 23, as shown, so that the longitudinal axis of the housing will lie approximately in alignment with the front edges of the members 9 and if of the lower and upper frame sections E and 1, respectively, which provides a properly balanced frame when in use.

Disposed within the hoisting drive housing It is a suitable flanged cable-drum embodying a hub 28 having spaced flanges 29, a worm gear 3%) secured to one end of the cab1edrum by suitable fastening means 35, a worm 32 meshing with the worm gear 50. The cable drum hub 23 is greater in diameter than the supporting shaft 33 which passes through openings 34 in the ends to be sup ported at opposite ends in suitable recessed bearings 35 formed in opposed walls of the hoisting drive housing. Surrounding the shaft are a series of roller bearings 56 which pass into the drum hub openings 3d at each end of the drum, thus leaving the cable-drum free to rotate relative to the roller bearings and the roller bearings free to rotate relative to the shaft 33. One end of the drum hu 28 is provided with an extension of reduced diameter to serve as a centering guide in positioning the worm gear relative to the cable drum.

The worm 32 has a shaft 3? projecting from both ends thereof journaled in bearings formed by an opening 38 and a recess 39 in opposite walls of upper portions of each half of the hoisting drive housing which is shaped, as at it, to accommodate the worm 32. The shaft 3? at one end of the worm 32 passes throughthe opening 3%; and the other end of the shaft is merely journaled in the recess 39.

The free rear end of the shaft 3'! is provided with a removable head ii secured in position by The head is provided with a suitable transverse opening 33 through which passes a suitable lever M secured in adjusted position relative to the head ii by means of a suitable fastening device "it and the lever is provided with a suitable handle 55.

A suitable stop lever at is suitably pivoted to the upper frame section l, as at if, and the device projects rearwardly, when in operative position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, so as to lie in the path of travel of the lever it, thus serving as a safety device to prevent any possible chance of the worm being rotated, accidentally or otherwise, beyond the stop lever it. The stop lever :6 can be moved upwardly and forwardly into a position adjacent portion i i of the upper frame section i when it is desired to actuate the hoisting drive for either raising or lowering the scaffold and be moved bacl: into safety position again after having raised or lowered the scaffold.

The housing 5 i of each hoisting drive, it will be observed, is provided with a suitable opening d8 through which the cable passes to be wound upon and unwound from the cable-drum disposed within the housing I i.

A pair of brace members 39 are secured to the arms i and E3 of the U-shaped frame section i by means of fastening devices 5d. The brace mem bers '39 are inclined upwardly and forwardly and project beyond the arm i of the U-shaped frame section l and suitably connected at their front ends to a pair of spaced arms iii secured to and depending from the rear end of the arm 8 of the triangularly shaped frame section 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. A suitable guide wheel 52 is rotatably supported between the arms 5! by means of a shaft 53 supported by the arms 5|. The guide wheel 52, it will be observed, is adapted to ride on the wall of a building when raising and lowering a scaffold. It will be observed that the guide wheel is disposed adjacent the lower front corner of the triangular frame section I and to the front of the U-shaped frame section I, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

It is apparent that any number of scaffold frames suitably spaced apart can be employed in erecting a scaffolding in order to support the desired number of wall: boards and material supporting boards which serve as platforms, as is manifest. V

In order to retard longitudinal swinging movements of the scaffolding when suspended in operative position adjacent the wall of a building, I find that by employing a suitable guide cable or rope E i connected at its upper end to the support to which the hoisting cable 20 is connected and suitably anchored at its lower end to the ground, and by passing the guide rope through a pair of eyebolts 55 secured to the upper and lower ends of each scaffold frame, that this arrangement limits movement of the scaffolding away from the building wall due to the guide rope being anchored at its lower end.

to the ground.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that a simple device for this purpose has been disclosed, but it is to be understood that I do not desire to restrict, or limit myself to the very details of the construction shown and described, which is merely illustrative, it being obvious that changes, not involving the exercise of invention, may be made without conflicting or departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A suspending scaffold side frame comprising a lower U-shaped frame member, a hoisting mechanism housing, means for securing one end of the U-shaped frame member to the lower end of the housing, a triangularly shaped frame a member disposed above and in front of the U-shaped housing, a cable guide sleeve secured to the rear upper end of the triangularly shaped frame member, means for securing the rear lower end of the triangularly shaped frame member to the housing, means for securing the opposite end of the triangularly shaped frame member to the upper end of the housing, spaced bearings depending from the forward lower end of the triangularly shaped frame member, a guide wheel rotatably supported by the bearings, and bracing members connecting the bearing members with the U-shaped frame member.

2. A suspending scaffold frame having, in combination, a lower lJ-shaped frame member adapted to support a walking plank, an upper triangularly shaped frame member disposed to the front of and above the U-shaped frame member and secured at one end thereto and adapted to support a work supporting plank adjacent the front upper end of the U-shaped frame member, and a hoisting mechanism disposed at the lower rear corner portion of the triangularly shaped frame member.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 wherein a guide wheel supporting means is carried adjacent the lower front corner of the triangularly shaped frame member, and bracing members connecting the guide wheel supporting means with the U-shaped frame member.

4. A suspending scaffold side frame having, in combination, a U-shaped walking plank supporting frame member, a triangularly shaped working material plank supporting frame member disposed in front of the U-shaped frame member adjacent the upper end thereof, a guide rail supporting loop carried by upper rear end of the U-shaped frame member, a guide wheel, guide wheel supports depending from the front lower corner of the triangularly shaped frame member, bracing members connecting the U-shaped frame member with the guide wheel supports, a cable guide sleeve secured to the upper end of the triangularly shaped frame member, a separable housing carried by the triangularly shaped frame member and manually actuated hoisting mechanism enclosed within the housing.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4 wherein the hoisting mechanism includes a rotatable cable carrying drum, a worm gear rotatable therewith, a worm in mesh with the worm gear, a shaft connected handle for manually actuating the hoisting mechanism, and a lever pivotally connected to the triangularly shaped frame member to prevent accidental rotation of the said handle.

6. In a scaffold frame structure, a U-shaped walking plank supporting frame member, a triangular working material supporting frame member disposed above and in front of the walking plank frame member and secured thereto, a guide wheel disposed adjacent the front lower corner of the working material supporting frame member, a hoisting mechanism housing carried by the rear side of the working material supporting plank frame member, and a hoisting cable guide sleeve secured to the upper rear end of said latter frame member.

7. In combination with a scaffold frame having means for supporting a platform to walk upon and a platform to support material used by workmen and which platforms are one above the other in offset relation, of a hoisting drive housing having a cable opening therein, a cable-drum Within the housing, a shaft supporting the drum and journaled at its ends in bearings formed in opposite walls of the housing, roller bearings intermediate the shaft and the cable-drum whereby rotary movement of each is independent of the other, a worm gear secured to one end of the cable-drum, a worm meshing with the worm gear, and means for manually rotating the worm to actuate the worm gear and cable-drum as a unit.

8. A cable suspended scaiTold comprising a plurality of scaffold frames each having an upper triangular section and a lower U-shaped section, working material supporting planks on the upper section portion, walking planks on the lower U- shaped sections, said upper triangular sections being disposed to the front and above the U- shaped sections, a hoisting mechanism carried by the triangular section of each scaffold frame, vertically spaced eyelets at the upper and lower ends of said triangular and U-shaped sections respectively, through which guide ropes pass.

9. A scaffold frame having, in combination, a lower U-shaped main Walk plank supporting frame member, an upper triangularly shaped frame member having a gap in one section thereof and disposed above the front section of the U- shaped frame member, the base of the upper frame section being disposed to the front of the upper end of the front section of the U-shaped frame member, a hoisting drive housing closing the gap and secured to both the U-shaped frame member and the triangularly shaped frame memher, the lower end of the triangularly shaped frame member adapted to support a plank utilized for supporting working material disposed in front of working men, an elongated cable guide sleeve secured to the rear section of the triangularly shaped frame member and at the upper end thereof, a brace member connecting the hoisting drive housing with the front section of the triangularly shaped frame member, cable hoisting mechanism including a crank carried by the housing, and a lever pivotally secured to the rear section of the upper frame member adapted to serve as a stop for the hoisting mechanism crank.

10. In a device as defined in claim 9, including spaced eyelets secured to the upper and lower ends of the triangular and U-shaped frame members, respectively, for guiding a scaffold guide cable passing therethrough.

JOHN P. BIEBEL. 

